Arctic report card – If there’s been any “pause” in global warming, the Arctic hasn’t seen it. The latest Arctic Report Card issued from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows a continued acceleration of climate change in the region. This latest report shows that Arctic air temperatures continue to rise at more than twice the rate of global temperatures,…

I am the Walrus This isn’t the first time Walrus have been forced ashore en masse due to their shrinking habitat of sea ice, and undoubtedly not the last. Last week more than 35,000 Walruses “hauled out” along the coast of northwestern Alaska because nearly all the sea ice the animals use to rest on had all but completely melted away. In…

With temperatures in the Arctic rising twice as fast as elsewhere, ARISE will be the first NASA airborne Arctic field campaign equipped to simultaneously measure the balance of of factors that determine climate warming.

Arctic ice autumn freeze-up starting later – According to new research to be published in the forthcoming issue of Geophysical Research Letters, the ice-free season in the Arctic is growing by five days per decade. Analysis of satellite data by a team of researchers headed by Julienne Stroeve indicate increasing absorption of solar energy in the summer Arctic ocean is pushing…

Scientists have long modeled the expected warming due to the decreased albedo effect as melting Arctic sea ice exposes more open ocean. As early as the 1960’s climate researchers have predicted how this phenomenon will amplify global warming. Arctic ice melt, albedo and global warming Albedo is measured as a percentage, in this case the percentage of solar radiation a…

With the eastern half of the United States under a deep freeze and the phrase “polar vortex” making the rounds (and no, despite Rush Limbaugh’s breathless ranting, it isn’t a term just made up by evil climate scientists), we circle back around to the discussion of climate vs. weather and get a grasp on how the jet stream works in this…

The northern latitudes are experience some of the most dynamic impacts from climate change. Done by a student as a final project for a Climate Dynamics Class, this video explores some of the effects and consequences climate change will have in Alaska. Featured image credit: Berkeley Lab, courtesy flickr